Control of Ear-Infesting Insects in Sweet Corn with High Rates of Bacillus Thuringiensis, 1993

Sweet corn was planted on 15 Jul at the Snyder Research and Extension Farm, Pittstown, NJ. Treatment plots were replicated 4 times in a randomized complete block design and consisted of 4 rows, 50 ft long on 3 ft centers with 9 inches between plants. Buffers were 12 ft driveways, two additional rows between adjacent plots, and 5 ft between plots within rows. Standard cultural practices were used throughout the trial. Treatments were applied on 11, 14, 19, and 25 Sep with the exception of two treatments (Dipel 2X + Kinetic—two early; Agree + Kinetic—two early) which were initiated on 8, 10 Sep when 0.01% of the plants were beginning to silk. A tractor-mounted, PTO-driven diaphragm pump, boom sprayer was equipped with 4 hollow-cone drop nozzles per row directing the spray to the ear zone. Sprayer was calibrated to deliver 73.5 gal/acre at 60 psi. Plots were evaluated on 29 Sep by examining 25 primary ears harvested from the middle 40 ft of the middle 2 rows of each replicate. All larvae or larval damage in or on the ear was identified and counted.